December 3rd

How Beautiful are the Feet

                 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Romans 10:13-15

             In order to be saved, people must call on God.  But to call on God they have to believe in God.  But to believe in God they have to hear about God.  But to hear about God someone has to speak about God.  But to speak about God, someone needs to be sent.  To be sent, someone must first be first be saved and call on God.  And the cycle continues.

            God’s primary work on this earth is rescuing His children.  The primary tools that He uses to do that work are also His children.  In some ways this is an insane strategy.  The primary caregiver of my son cannot be his younger sisters.  That would not be beneficial for anyone.  However, I have frequently said that the greatest assets for my son’s early development were his preschool and his sister.  She did not respect his boundaries.  She did not treat him as a special case.  She just wanted to play with her brother and be like her brother and spend time with him, so that’s what she did.  By just bear hugging him, she broke through the relational barriers that therapists had no way to crack.

            That is how evangelism works as well.  We can connect with people not because of our bullet-proof theology or our extraordinary speaking skills or our miracles.  We connect with them because we love them and we long for the best for them and we want them to know true life that we have found.  I especially want that for us.  We who feel discarded and isolated and burdened by this amazing calling that we share.  We who are not sure if we are going to sink or swim depending on the hour of the day.  We who refuse to give up on our children that this world has moved on from.  We need to hear the good news.  We need to know that God loves us and that God loves our children and that there will come a day when we are all made whole together.  That is the good news that we possess and people will not hear it from the pulpit.  They will not hear it from Christian tv shows or magazines or inspirational bathroom plaques. 

      They will hear it from the person who lets them cut in the grocery line because their child is melting down.  They will hear it from the person who smiles at the child who is screaming on the airplane.  They will hear it from the person who offers to make them meals over a couple of days so that they can get a little bit of rest.  They will hear it from the love that is shown to them by you and me.

            You can show others that there is an entire new way to see the world and to see their children.  You can show what a life marked by hope and joy look like and invite others to join you there.  Then you will be called blessed…fortunate…beautiful, for having had the opportunity to transform a life.

A moment to reflect:

Who can you love and share the good news with?